Haven
by Naomi Sisko
Summary: Jarod helps out a runaway teen.
1. Escaping

**Haven**

* * *

Chapter One: Escaping 

* * *

Dark leaves flitted before her eyes, the shadows sending chills down her spine. Tree trunks surrounded her, ghosts in the late dusk of autumn. Light, barely enough to generate the shadows, faded rapidly as she tiptoed through the foliage, cheeks pink and chilled, young eyes bright, yet sunken with sadness, breath coming easily after days of hiking. Stopping abruptly, she glanced around her, suddenly tense, but relaxed at the sight of no one. She hiked a few more meters before deciding on a resting point for the evening, sliding her arms out of her knapsack straps and sitting back against a thick, sturdy tree. She rummaged through her knapsack till she found a small blanket and a water bottle, then covered herself with the blanket and took a sip of water. 

She felt too awake to sleep, yet knew she must, to keep her energy up, though she felt as though it would never drain. Though used to living with a huge lack of energy, the wilderness brought back everything she thought she had lost forever. 

Everything, that is, except for one thing. 

A rustling interrupted her thoughts, and she rolled to her knees groping for a stick, fingers finding purchase on a baseball-bat-sized stick. The rustling grew louder, and she froze. 

A light flashed on, exposing his face. "Hi," he said brightly, and though he seemed friendly she waved the bat at him. "I'm not going to hurt you." He stepped back and held up his hands to show he held nothing but the flashlight. 

"Who are you?" she tried to growl, but failed miserably, her voice betraying her fear. 

"My name is Jarod." He paused and looked around. "You know, you shouldn't be camping in these woods all by yourself. You could run into a bear . . ." 

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted, surprised at her rudeness. 

"Ashton is about two miles from here," he offered. "I can show you the way, and you can stay there." 

"I don't have any money, and besides, I _want_ to stay in the woods. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here." 

"Is that why you're taking such foolish risks?" 

"Keeps me on my toes." 

"Are you running away?" he asked softly. 

"No; I'll head back soon enough. This is _scheduled time off_." 

He raised a solemn eyebrow, as if pondering her statement. "You never did tell me your name." 

"That's because you don't need to know." 

"How long have you been out in these woods?" 

"How long do I have to tell you to _go away_?" 

Again, Jarod raised his hands in a universal symbol of peace, turned, and left. 

She sat back down, covered herself with her meager blanket, and shivered. There would be no sleeping that night. Curiosity crept through her brain, and before Jarod's shadow could disappear, she packed up her blanket and water bottle and followed the man at a distance, stick still clutched in one hand. He moved quickly, and she could barely keep his pace, much less discreetly, but she managed, though there were times she felt certain he knew she was following him. Ashton appeared, and she followed him through streets, creeping through shadows to avoid the glare of golden streetlights. Once, he glanced over his shoulder, and she ducked into an alley to avoid his notice when she heard the sound of heavy breathing and felt a hand clamp over her mouth. 

Mind racing, she squirmed and kicked, but it was of no use. She could not escape her captor's grip. Her consciousness deteriorated with the panic . . . until she felt herself released and ran like never before. 

"Ma'am?" The voice was familiar, but it took a while for her to place it. 

_Jarod_, she realized finally and stopped running, turning toward where he stood, a man lying on the cement beside him. 

"Are you okay?" 

Panting, she nodded, her panic reverting to sobs. 

"You're safe now," he reassured her, walking over to squeeze her hand. 

Grateful, she managed, "Ari. My name . . . Ari." 

"It's good to meet you, Ari." 

"Shouldn't we . . ." Her voice trailed off. 

"Shouldn't we what?" 

"Call the police." 

Jarod pulled out a cellular phone and dialed a number, providing a description of the location and nature of the attempted crime. Finally, he put his phone away. "They'll be here," he said. 

"Is he . . ." 

"Dead? No. Just unconscious. And he'll stay that way until the police are here. I promise." 

Ari nodded. 

"Why were you in the woods?" 

She stared at him for a moment, trying to remember herself, for the recent drama had brought about a temporary change in her priorities. 

"Escaping," she confessed. 

"Escaping what?" 

"Aloneness." She closed her eyes, and it all came back, the isolation, the frustration, the despair. 

"The middle of nowhere isn't the best place to find company." 

"I'd given up trying to find company. I wanted to escape being lonely. I can't do that when there are people around." 

"Why not?" 

"Because." 

"Because of what?" 

A siren sounded in the distance, growing nearer and nearer until she saw the police car, followed directly by an ambulance. Jarod rose to greet them. Ari shied into the background as the man spoke, but she could not escape the police's notice. They questioned her shortly, then rode off with the man in tow. 

"I know someone," Jarod began, "whom you could stay with tonight. Her name is Mama Moses. At least, that's what everyone calls her. She lives about a quarter mile from here. Are you up for the walk?" 

Ari shrugged slowly, but followed Jarod anyway. 

"Do your parents know you're gone?" 

Ari shuffled her feet, as if to avoid the question. Then, "No," she said. "Of course, they're gone for the week, so they're not looking for me." Under her breath, she added, "No one's looking for me." 

"You don't know that," Jarod said. 

"You weren't supposed to hear that," Ari shot back. "Though you're right, I guess; I can't know everything." Her tone darkened. "But I know enough." 

"And what do you know?" 

Ari's eyebrows knit together in befuddlement. "Why would I tell you? I don't even know you." 

Jarod declined to remark past the next few street lights, stopping before a slightly weathered but otherwise gorgeous Victorian style home. "Mama Moses' house," he explained, then stepped up onto the porch to ring the doorbell. 

An elderly lady answered the door and smiled, delighted. "Jarod. Come in, come in." She paused at the sight of Ari. 

"She needs a place to stay for the night," Jarod explained. 

Mama Moses nodded, understanding, then said in a bright tone, "Well, Jarod, any friend of yours is welcome to stay as long as they want." She welcomed the two in and asked, "What's your name, honey?" 

"Ari, ma'am. Thank you for letting me stay here." 

"No trouble at all. Would either of you like some tea? I've just baked some cookies for the church potluck tomorrow, but I think I can spare a few." 

"Um . . ." Ari began. 

"Please," said Jarod, so Ari followed him into the kitchen, where Mama Moses offered them a seat at the table. She pulled a container filled with cookies from the counter and set it before them, then set to work pouring their milk. 

"You know," began Jarod, "I've seen some fascinating commercials on TV." 

"'Got milk?' Hmm?" Ari deadpanned. 

"Yes," Jarod said brightly and raised his glass to take a sip. 

Ari smiled at his childlike innocence, taking a few more bites of cookie as she listened to Jarod and Mama Moses talk. Slowly, her eyes began to droop, and before she knew it, Mama Moses was leading her upstairs and to bed, Jarod having waved good-night and left. Ari lay her head on a down pillow, pulled the heavy quilt over her head, and soon fell asleep. 


	2. A Place to Stay

**Haven**

* * *

Chapter Two: A Place to Stay 

* * *

Ari had a difficult time escaping church the next morning, especially because deep down she really wanted to go. Jarod had been the one to convince Mama Moses to let her stay away. Jarod had also been the one to prevent Ari from going back to sleep. "You're wasting time," he had said. "You can't be sure you'll escape if you sleep. Dreams have a way of finding you. If you want a solution, you have to look for it." 

Ari rolled her eyes but assented, following Jarod through the bright streets again until they came to a park. 

"Why are we here?" she asked. 

"I thought you'd like to go on a hike," Jarod said, handing her a trail map. 

"Oh, goody." 

"Well, it's what you were going to be doing anyway." 

Ari crossed her arms and started down the trail. Jarod followed, eyes scanning the treetops as an awkward silence settled. 

"You know there are treatments for depression," Jarod said. 

Ari pursed her lips. "I know," she said finally, "but I'm not depressed." 

"You feel alienated, trapped around people. But you're confused because you also feel lonely. There's a need to escape, and a need to relate. But the need to escape wins out." 

Ari dared to glance up at Jarod. He looked genuinely concerned. Eyes glistening, she looked down quickly. "I don't need anybody," she whispered. 

"It's easy to deny the truth, when the truth hurts." 

"Hurts?" Ari repeated. "I know nothing of pain." Her eyes darted, and she shook her head slightly. 

"What is it?" 

"Nothing. I thought I saw something. A . . . bear . . . or something." 

"Ari, you can't continue to shut yourself away from the world." 

This time she stopped and looked directly at him. "Can't I? Haven't I? Or maybe the question I should be asking is, 'How can I not?'" 

"What do you think?" 

Ari pursed her lips and strode ahead. 

Jarod jogged slightly to catch up. "You can speak what's on your mind. That's one way you can start to reconnect with the living." 

Ari laughed bitterly. "_Re_-connect? I've never lived anywhere but in a fantasy. I'm afraid I wouldn't fit in." 

"Then tell me about where you do fit in." 

Ari almost choked as she blurted, "You mean hell?" 

Jarod's "_no_" was so emphatic it startled Ari into really believing what he said. "I was taken from my parents at an early age, forced to work in a Centre that exploited me for their own evil intentions. I never lived in the 'real world' until just a few years ago. But that didn't mean that I could never learn to function in it. It's not about fitting in -- it's about being yourself. When I asked you where you fit in, I really wanted to know where, if only in your own mind, you're not ashamed of who you are." 

"When I was little," Ari began, "I called it 'fairyland'. It took me forever, till I was about fifteen, to figure out it wasn't real. I thought I found something to live for after that. I mean, I've been a Christian almost all my life, but that's when I really got into it, for a couple of months. Then I got distracted. Books and TV and stuff like that. I started talking to the characters in my mind . . . for company. Finally I realized that none of it was making me happy. So I went back to God for awhile. Best time of my life. Too bad it was so short." 

"You got 'distracted' again?" 

Ari nodded. "The cycle repeated itself several more times before I figured out that it just wasn't working. I mean, I _know_ the meaning of life, but . . . I'm so unequal to the task. I've failed." 

"What is the meaning of life?" 

"Why, the love of God for man, and that should also be vice versa." 

Jarod frowned slightly, thinking. "Do you . . . love God?" 

Sighing, Ari answered, "If love is shown by actions, then I can't say yes." 

"Don't you think it's what's in your heart that matters?" Jarod asked softly. 

Ari cut off the sting in her eyes with a smirk. "How quaint." She picked up her pace to ward off conversation for the rest of the hike. 

* * *

It turned out Jarod worked at the local candy store, a rustic little place selling such delicacies as homemade taffy and peanut brittle. He headed off to work that afternoon, leaving Ari with Mama Moses, who promptly sat Ari down to yet another serious talk. 

"How old are you, hon?" Mama Moses squinted at Ari with wizened, sky-blue eyes. 

"Nineteen." 

"So you're of age to be running away, do you think?" 

Ari realized that had she been just two years younger, Mama Moses could have called the police to take her back home. She shuddered at the thought, then shrugged, avoiding the question. 

Mama Moses' expression softened. "Don't worry. I'm not going to throw you out into the streets. I don't have the heart for that." 

"Thank you," Ari mumbled self-consciously. 

"But you need to at least _look_ for a job, if you're not going to be headin' back home." 

Ari nodded slowly. "Don't really know where to start, but . . ." she shrugged. "There's always McDonald's." 

"Jarod is looking into hiring some extra help. Told me this morning. That is, if candymaking's your thing." Mama Moses raised her eyebrows expectantly. 

Ari shrugged a second time. "I learn quickly." 


End file.
